My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Nova Scotia where we visited with friends in Musquodoboit Harbour on the Eastern Shore about 45 minutes from Halifax. While there we toured an incredible garden property called Harbour Breezes where owners Allan and Shane have created a visionary wonderland. I wanted to share this story with you because I was so moved by what I experienced walking these gardens and listening to the story of its “becoming”. It truly is a “Vision in Action”.

The property was purchased in 2004 and opened to the public in 2006. Its location is ideal being right on the well traveled Hwy. #7 along the Eastern Shore at Jeddore Harbour with a south facing view of the water. From the humble home at the road, the property goes straight uphill behind. The land is rough, covered in large rocks, trees and native scrub brush. As the story unfolded, we learned that every year Allan gave his creative dreams permission to grow with lots of hard work and research and determination. The core lines of products are Day Lilies and they currently have over 750 varieties with new ones being added every year.

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Our friend had coached us to wear good hiking shoes and it was a good thing, as we climbed the handmade stairways up through what felt like different themed outdoor rooms. It was a full sensory experience with the vibrant colours, fragrance, texture, sounds of water & birds and the consistent view out over the harbour to the south. It truly was like entering into another world.

We learned of the next expansion ideas on the horizon for Harbour Breezes which is to have a tea room and art gallery overlooking the garden rooms and harbour view below. I will definitely want to go back and see how the vision unfolds in years to come.

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I believe that Allan and Shane have created the perfect life for themselves – surrounded by nature, part of the local community, their work is their love and they share their skills, knowledge and products worldwide through the website, shipping Day Lilies and Japanese Irises and scrumptious brandy fruit cakes around the world. A little Canadian gem!

Walt Disney emphasized ”If you can dream it, you can do it.” A vision is a powerful catalyst for creating what you want in the future. Here is a description of a successful vision from author and successful entrepreneur Joel Brown:

What is a vision for success?

A vision is something like a mirage in the mind. A state you want manifested into your outer world.

The idea becomes a conviction after your “will” joins in to support the idea.

Fine tuning and expounding the concept with the will and intentions to achieve the perceived idea are what creates the vision.

The vision is the expression of a much wished for future, that is better than what exists now or of what is projected to subsist in the future.

I was reminded while walking through the gardens of the power of a vision and the joy that comes while we put action towards our visions. It got me thinking again about what I want to create…it’s time to allow my dreams more space in my day. What about you…do you give yourself permission to dream and vision for the future?

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